Egg case



March 24, 1953 M. NELSON EGG CASE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 25, 1951 HENRY M. NELSON Marcli 124 1 3 H. M. NELSON EGG CASE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 25, 1951 HENRY M. NELSON FIG. 5

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EG oAsiE. HenryM, Nels n, Minne po i n- Application May 25, 1951,,Serial azsaeo .'My invention relates. to, improvements'in e cases and has for an object thereof to. provide. a simple, durable, sturdy, relatively inexpensive and cit reusable knockdown egg case having two come par tments for the accommodation of conventional egg case fillers and. flats, the same being adapted to be quickly and easily folded into form of use from a single blank of sheet: material and. to be quickly and; easily unfolded into its. original form as a blank.

Oth er objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in. the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described. i Inthedrawings:

Fig. l is a perspective viewof an. egg case con-.- strncted in embodiment of my invention.

' Fig; 2- is a longitudinal central sectional View of the'str'uctiire shown in Fig. 1, a portion of said structure being shown iragmentarily.

Fig. 3 is a. detail sectional view taken as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of-a blank of sheet material as used producing an egg case of the construction shown in Figl.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a partial development of the: blank shown in Fig. 4.

Fig 6 is a perspective viewsimilar to Fig.5 illustrating further development of said blank.

Reference being to the accompanying draw ings, it will be understood that my improved egg case is produced from a single blank X stamped iro'm any suitable sheet material such as fibre board, corrugated board or the like. This blank -X includes a bottom panel ill and also side panels H adapted to be folded upwardly from the bottom panel it! along lines [2. One side panel II has a relatively long} extension A at one end thereof, the other end of the other side panel H having a similar long extension A. At the end ofeach side panel H opposite the end thereof having the relatively long extension A is a relatively short extension 13;. Each long extension A includes an inner end panel t3 folded from its respective side inner side panel on'line I'd crosswise of the'bottom pane'li l0 midlength thereof. $3 the inner side panel 15 and the cross-panel I I The inner end panel of each of the relatively long folded extensions A combine with the corresponding end portion of their respective side panel l= I to define one of the We compartments Y" oi the egg'case. With said 1 dlaims. (Ch 2 9- 2 lo extensions A folded to define aid compar m nts Y, he cr ss pan s t e ft stand ll l ie P d facev to f c E h f aid r ati ely lon extension A her in u s. an inne bo om p e 3 for its respe tive compa tme t Y. the same being folded from the cross-panel 11' on "line 26 lengthwise of the bottom panel [0 E h Short e t n ion B c ns utes an inter mediate end panel It, the same being folded iron; it pectiv s P n l. I ine. 22 into m ii n against. the inner end panel l3. of its correspop ing compartment. Y.

T e to p t! has ex ensi ns C. ati is opposite ends, each thSIeQf including anouter end pa el 23 fioldfi'd p on ine 24 f om a d bottom panel it id osition agai st the interme iate n panel o he co es -i s c mpartm nt Y, a cover panel 25 for sllqh compartment folded on line 26 from saiclouter end panel. 23. lengthwise of the bottom panel it, and an end or latching flap olded do non ine 2 f m. sa d cov r panel 25 and adapted to be. tuckfid in between the juxtaposed cross-panels l1.

Each endportion of. e ch s d panel H as a er en 29 hereon. f lded nw rd y herefrom on a ne 30., imi ar ov flaps 3-1 and 32; on th inner end panel l3 and cross-panel ll, respecti y. at each comp rtment Y a e. mwardl fol d on lines. 3 3.4,, respee i e v- Th wo co rfl ps 2e co e p nding an nat ons f he ids a el l and the. ove fla $1,, 32- on the inner e d nel 1. nd croseeane ll Qt the-e9 re.- sponding compartment Y are adapted tcbesuperimpose by he co panel 01. t at tem e ment- Each cross panei H a pa ti l cut-out d consisting or two spaced ert a slits 35 w h at the. correspondin end thereof mee herizimtal slot 3-6. In one. cross-anal 11, the slo .5: s. a t e lower ends. of the ie 35,. her by forming a depending tongue 31 and in; the other cross-panel it, the; slot 36, is at. the; upper ends of the; slits .35" thereby forming an ups anding tongue 3?. The two cutmuts d in said @1205? panels ["1- register with each other and the tongues 31. thereof are bentout into reve'rsely overlapping relationship, the, tongue 3] or each cross-panel I1 extending into; the cut-.out d. of the other crosspanel H and releasably interlocking the, two cross;- panels. against relative movement transverselyof the bottom panel t0.

Likewise, the inner end panel [3: and the com:- panio'n intermediate end panel 2 for-each compartment Y are each. formed with a partialnutout- 8' consisting of two spaced vertical slits '88 which at the corresponding ends thereof meet a horizontal slot 39. In the inner end panel i3, the slot 39 is at the upper ends of the slits 38 thereby forming an upstanding tongue 4E], While in the companion intermediate end panel 2|, the slot 3% is at the lower ends of the slits 38 thereby forming a depending tongue 40. The two cut-outs e in companion inner and intermediate end panels l3, 2| register with each other and the tongues 49 thereof are bent out into reversely overlapping relationship. With said tongues 49 thus relatively disposed the tongue 40 of each of said intermediate end panels 21 extends into the cut-out e of its companion inner end panel i3, while the tongue 40 of each inner end panel 13 extends into the cut-out e of its companion intermediate end panel 2i, thereby releasably interlocking said companion inner end panels I3 and intermediate end panels 2! together against relative movement transversely of the bottom panel [9.

The outer end panel 23 and the companion intermediate end panel 2! for each compartment Y are each formed with a horizontally extending hand-hole 4|, the one being in registry with the other. The companion inner end panel l3 for the same compartment Y has a partial cut-out f therein registering with said registering hand-holes ll, said cut-out consisting of a horizontal slit 42 and two relatively spaced upwardly converging slits 43 forming an outwardly flared depending tab 44. This tab 14 is adapted to be folded out through the registering handholes 4| against the upper surfaces thereof, said tab so folded constituting a handpiece for the comfort of a user in lifting the case withhis hand inserted into said registering hand-holes 4| and cut-out f. The distance along the wide free edge of each hand-piece tab 413 is slightly greater than the lengths of the registering handholes 4| of the companion intermediate end panel 13 and outer end panel 23 through which said' flap 44 is forced upon the folding thereof into position within said hand-holes 4|. Thus, the hand-piece tab 44 for each compartment Y releasably interlocks together in dovetail fashion the corresponding inner, intermediate and outer [end panels l3, 2! and 23.

The hand-holes ii additionally serve as ventilating openings in the case and, together with registering ventilating openings 45 in the crosspanels ll, provide for the circulation of air through the two compartments Y from end to end of the case.

- Features which notably contribute to the sturdiness of the present article are the three thicknesses of sheet material at each end of the case provided by the inner end panel I3, intermediate end panel 21 and outer end panel 23; the two thicknesses of sheet material at the sides of the case in staggered relation provided by the inner side panel 15 for each compartment and the corresponding end portion of one of the side panels H; the two thicknesses of sheet material at the bottom of the case provided by the inner bottom panel I!) folded from the cross-panel I1 of each compartment Y together with the corresponding portion of the bottom panel In of the case; the strengthening of each cross-panel I! at its lower portion by folding its respective inner bottom panel 19 therefrom; the inwardly turned cover flaps 32 on said cross-panels I l and the similar flaps 3i on the inner end panels [3 which reinforce their respective members at the upper portions thereof; and the inwardly turned cover flaps .29 on the. side panels H, which strengthen said side panels I l at their upper portions and augment the cover panels 25 in closing their respective compartments Y of the case.

The present egg case, strengthened at critical portions thereof as aforesaid, is capable of being stacked relatively high, case on case, for economy in shipping and storage space. Formed from a single blank, the case may be quickly and easily set up and knocked down, such facility thereof coupled with the strength of its construction, making many reuses of the case possible and conveniently practicable. The single blank from Which the case is formed requires a minimum amount of material with relatively little waste in the cutting thereof.

Changes in the specific form of the invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A double-compartment egg case formed of sheet material providing an oblong bottom panel and side panels folded up therefrom, each side panel having a relatively long extension at one end thereof and a relatively short extension at the other end thereof, the long extension of one side panel and the short extension of the other side panel being at corresponding ends of said side panels, each, long extension including an inner end panel folded from its respective side panel crosswise of the bottom panel, an inner side panel folded from said inner end panel lengthwise of the bottom panel and a cross-panel folded from said inner side panel crosswise of said bottom panel midlength thereof, the inner end panel, the inner side panel and the crosspanel of each of said folded long extensions combining with the corresponding end portion of their respective side panel to define one of the two compartments of the egg case, the crosspanels of said long extensions being juxtaposed face to face, each short extension constituting an intermediate end panel folded from its respective side panel against the inner end panel of its corresponding compartment, said bottom panel having extensions at its opposite ends, each thereof including an outer end panel folded up from said bottom panel against the intermediate end panel of its corresponding compartment, and a cover panel for such compartment folded from said outer end panel lengthwise of the bottom panel.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each extension of the bottom panel further includes a latching flap folded down from the cover panel thereof and adapted to be tucked between the two cross-panels of the two compartments.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each relatively long extension of each side panel further includes an inner bottom panel folded from the cross-panel longitudinally of the bottom panel.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each-of the side panels is provided along its upper edge at each end portion thereof with an inwardly folded cover flap, said cover flaps on corresponding end portions of the side panels being adapted to be superimposed by the cover panel for the corresponding compartment.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each of the side panels is provided at its upper edgeat each end portion thereof with an inwardly folded cover flap and each inner end panel and each cross-panel is provided at its upper edge with a similar inwardly folded cover flap, the cover flaps on corresponding end portions of the side panels and the cover flaps on the inner end panel and cross-panel included in the corresponding compartment being adapted to be superimposed by the cover panel for that compartment.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for interlocking the juxtaposed cross-panels together to deprive them of relative movement transversely of the bottom panel.

7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein one cross-panel has a partial cut-out therein forming a depending tongue and the other cross-panel has a partial cut-out therein forming an upstanding tongue, each tongue being adapted reversely to overlap the other and extend into the cut-out thereof thereby to interlock said cross-panels together against relative movement transversely of the bottom panel.

8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for fastening each inner end panel to its companion intermediate end panel thereby to deprive them of relative movement transversely of the bottom panel.

9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each inner end panel has a partial cutout therein forming a depending tongue and the companion intermediate end panel has a partial cut-out therein forming an upstanding tongue, each of said tongues being adapted to overlap the other and extend into the cut-out thereof thereby to interlock such inner end panel and intermediate end panels against relative movement transversely of the bottom panel.

10'. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each outer end panel and its respective intermediate end panel have registering handholes therein and its respective inner end panel has a partial cut-out therein forming a depending tabconstituting a hand-piece, said tab being adapted to be folded out through said registering hand-holes against the upper surfaces thereof.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein the tabs are outwardly flared and interfit with their respective hand-holes in dove-tail fashion interlocking together their respective inner, intermediate and outer end panels.

HENRY M. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 25 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

